Circular knitting machine with multiple striping means



' Filed July 6. 1966 I Sheet I y 1, 1959 H. PAEPKE 3,452,559

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH MULTIPLE STRIPING MEANS 6 1f 1: 1d 1c 15 i 7 \3 161526! 26 17 25 2f I 15 2b, TT"H'H' +5(\17 WW 1312 111 10 9 I H JQ INVENTORI Hers? PAEPK E ATTORNEY July 1, 1969 H. PAEPKE 3,452,559

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH MULTIPLE STRIPING MEANS- Filed July 6, 1966 I I I Sheet 2 of s INVENTOR Hers? PAEPKE BY m 0 m ATTORNEY Jul 1, 1969 H. PAEZF 'KE 3, 5

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH MULTIPLE STRIPING MEANS Filed July 6, 1966 Sheet 3 013 INVENTOR.

Hors f PAEP K E BY Maw ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 6619 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved striping means for circular knitting machines. In the circular knitting machine there is at least one catch hook which is situated in the dial cylinder in the place of a conventional knitting needle thereof, a plate bar which is coupled with the catch hook having a guide leg longer than the corresponding guide legs of the knitting needles and projecting into the dial cam race grooves. This longer guide leg of the plate bar has a cam engaging surface which is offset with respect to the cor responding surfaces of the needles of the dial cylinder, and it coacts with an ejection-cam member which is situated beyond the region of the guide legs connected with the knitting needles, so that the catch hook will be controlled independently of the knitting needles to coact with thread guiding members of the striping means.

This invention relates generally to circular knitting machines and in particular to improved striping means incorporated therein which comprise a plurality of juxtaposed thread guiding members.

Striping means of the character described herein are faced with the operational problem of guiding each one of the Various threads to the dial or cylinder needles in such a manner that it can be securely grasped by them. Several modifications in the design of striping means have been made in the past in order to overcome the aforedescribed operational problem without complete success.

It is also known to employ a thread hook in the known thread input and output guide arrangements with which the thread to be knitted is guided into the area of the needle heads.

The heretofore known arrangements of this type have the drawback of requiring a complex guide mechanism for the catch-thread device.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a catch-thread device for circular knitting machines with multiple striping means which dispenses with the compleX guide mechanisms of the heretofore known arrangements.

It is another object of this invention to provide a catchthread device which securely grasps each one of the to-beknitted threads and guides them to the next station of the knitting operation.

Keeping these objects in view, I have devised an arrangement for circular knitting machines which includes at least one catch hook which is set in the dial in lieu of a knitting needle, the plate bar coupled therewith has a longer guide leg projecting into the dial cam race grooves. The dial cam race is provided for each knitting system with an ejection-cam member for ejecting the catch hook. The longer guide leg of the plate bar, which is operatively connected to the catch hook, has a cam surface offset interiorly with respect to the corresponding cam surfaces of the sink-, catchand knitting-cam member surfaces of the dial cylinder. The ejection-cam member for the catch hook is always mounted upstream on the dial cylinder with respect to the ejection-cam member for the knitting needles and upstream with respect to the thread guiding members of the corresponding striping means in the direction of rotation of the circular knitting machine, so that, even with a delayed timing knitting operation, the catch hook is moved into the catch-thread position before the position of the first thread guide member has been reached. Thus, the catch-hook is projected before the position of the thread guide members is reached, and is maintained in the projected catch-thread-position over the entire length of the juxtaposed thread guide members of the striping means, and subsequently thereto, is withdrawn as the dial needles, which had been projected later on into the thread-laid-in-position, are withdrawn into the subsequent loop-forming-position. Since the curved forward end of the catch-hook is bent in the opposite direction as the curved forward ends of the dial needles, and is also open in the downward direction, the threads seized by the catch-hook can exit without any difiiculty therefrom during the loop-forming operation.

The aforementioned as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof which is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate respectively the knitting curves during normal and delayed timing loop-forming of a circular knitting machine in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cam races of a dial cam system of a circular knitting machine in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in FIG. 2 also illustrating the set-in catch hook and platemember.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIGURES 1a and 1b the knitting curve 1 of the cylinder needles and the knitting curve 2 of the dial needles. The curves 1 and 2 are drawn at opposite sides of a horizontal reference line 3 which represents the outer periphery of the dial--as well as the upper edge of the needle-cylinder. The cylinder needles which arrive from the direction of the arrow 4 are, in the portion 1a of the knitting curve 1, moved a small distance to a position in which they support the dial needles during their knitting operation. Subsequent thereto, the cylinder needles are withdrawn and then projected to a more advanced position in the portion 10 of the knitting curve 1. The cross-hatched sector 5 of the knitting curve 1 represents that portion of the curve in which the tongues of the cylinder needles are opened by the old loops. The cylinder needles are then projected from the catch-position in the portion 10 of the knitting curve 1 to the knitting position in the portion 1a of the knitting curve 1 and thence are withdrawn to the thread-laying-in-position in the portion 1e of the knitting curve 1 and finally are moved to the loop-forming position in the portion 1g of the knitting curve 1. The cross-hatched sector 6 at the portion 1 of the knitting curve 1 represents that portion of the curve in which the old loop closes the needle tongue.

According to the knitting curve 2, the dial needles are first conducted into the catch-position from the portion 20 by being projected forward in the portion 2b of the curve. The cross-hatched sector 7 illustrates again that portion of the curve in which the tongues of the needles are opened by the old loops. The dial needles are projected from the position on the curve-portion 20 to the knitting-position on the curve-portion 2a and then are withdrawn to the thread-laying-in-position on the curve-portion 2e. Contiguous thereto, via the curve-portion 2f, the needles are withdrawn to the loop-forming-position on the curve-portion 2g. The cross-hatched sector 8 represents again that portion of the curve in which the old loops 3 close the needle tongue and in which the pre-laid-in new thread is seized by the heads of the dial needles. The afore-described knitting operation is known.

The knitting system of the aforedescribed circular knitting machine includes improved striping means which comprises five juxtaposed thread guide members 9 to 13. The latter are illustrated in FIGURES 1a and 1b with solid lines in their idle position and within the confines of knitting curve 2 with dashed lines in their operative position. There is, furthermore, illustrated in FIGURES 1a and 1b a thread guide which has a funnel-shaped input opening 16 through which all of the threads selected for the knitting operation, which are guided through eyelets 14 of the thread guide members 9 to 13, must pass.

In FIGURE la there is additionally illustrated for the dial needle knitting curve 2 a curve path 17 with dash lines. The latter illustrates the path taken by the thread hook which is guided in the dial cam race. As can clearly be noted in the drawing, taking the rotational direction of the machine as a reference which is indicated by the arrow 4, the catch hook is projected from the catch position of the dial needles on the curve portion to the knitting position of the dial needles, as represented by the curve portion 2d, before the position of the first guide member 9 is reached. Thereafter, the catch hook is withdrawn as the dial needles are withdrawn to the thread laying-in-position represented by the curve por-' tion 2e and the loop-forming position represented by the curve portion 2g.

The knitting curves illustrated in FIGURE 1b are identical to those illustrated in FIG. 1a, except that they are offset with respect to each other by a circumferential shifting of the dial cams to provide a delayed timing knitting operation. For sake of clarity, only a few numerals have been included in FIG. 1b. The offset of the knitting curves 1 and 2 can best be noted by comparing the positions of the curve portions 1g and 2g. It can further be noted that the catch hook is projected into the catch position in the dial cam race at a suflicient distance before the first thread guide member 9, so that even with delayed timing loop forming, as illustrated in FIGURE 1b, the thread of the first thread guide member 9 can be caught when the latter is in its operative position as illustrated by the dash lines.

The guided run of the catch hook as illustrated in FIG- URES 1a and 1b is elfectuated, according to this invention, by the dial cam race arrangement of the circular knitting machine as is illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3. As can be noted from the plan view of FIGURE 2, the dial cam race is provided with an upper cam member 18 and a lower cam member 19, both of which are rigidly secured to the posterior part of the cam race proper. Furthermore, the dial cam race is provided with the catchposition cam members 20 and 21 and the knitting-position cam members 22 and 23 for the short, respectively the long dial needles. The cam members 20, 21, 22 and 23 are mounted on the dial cam race in the usual known pattern. The aforementioned cam members are so shaped that they may also function as cams for the sunk position of the dial needles. There is mounted adjacent to the aforementioned cam members 20 and 22 the loop forming cam member 24 and the oppositely arranged cam member 25. In addition thereto, there is mounted adjacent to the cam member 20 a projection cam member which is securely mounted by means of its interiorly projecting leg 31 to the dial cam race. The cam member 30 jointly with the upper cam member 18 limit and define the path illustrated by the dash line 17 of the catch hook.

There is illustrated once more at the upper part of FIG- URE 2 the knitting curve 2 of the dial needles together with the dash line 17, illustrating the path described by the catch hook. The curve 2 in FIGURE 2 is, however, drawn opposite to the curves 2 illustrated in FIGURES la and 1b, because in FIGURE 2 the needles travel in the direction of the arrow 26 which is also opposite to the direction of travel of the needles in FIGURES 1a and 1b.

As will be noted in the cross-sectional view of FIGURE 3, the various cam members have their cam surfaces extending to different depths in the dial cam race. Thus, for example, it can be noted that the upper cam member 18 and the lower cam member 19 as well as the loopforming cam member 24 and its opposite cam member 25 project outwardly the farthest. This arrangement causes the plate-member 27 for the catch-hook 28, as well as the plate-members for the dial needles which are not illustrated, to slide tightly over the cam surfaces and prevents them from accidentally exiting from their guide grooves. The cam members 20 and 21, as well as the knitting-position cam members 22 and 23, which are not visible in the cross-sectional view of FIGURE 3, are olfset interiorly with respect to the upper and lower cam members 18 and 19 and the loop-forming cam member 25. The cam member 30 for the catch-hook is even more interiorly ofiset up to the deep position indicated by the dashed line 29, thereby bypassing the cam members 20 to 23.

As has been stated above, the catch-hook 28 in contradistinction to the knitting needles is provided with a hook 28a which is open at its lower end. The plate-bar 27 of the catch-hook 28 is provided with a projecting guide leg 33. This guide leg is positioned at the same location of the plate-bar as the guide legs of the plate bars of the short dial needles are positioned, which are guided in the adjacent grooves of the dial cam race. The guide legs of the plate bars for the knitting needles have, however, only a smaller height which is indicated at the guide leg 33 with a dashed line. Due to this structural feature, only the plate bar 27 is seized by the rigidly mounted at a most interior position cam member 30 of the dial cam race and is guided in the groove 32, whereas the shorter guide legs of the plate bars for the knitting needles are acted on only by the cam members 20 and 22. On the other hand, both the plate bar 27 for the catch-hook 28 and the plate bar for the short knitting needles are equally acted upon by the upper cam member 18 and the loopforming cam member 24. The plate-bar 27 is further provided with a posterior known guide projection 34, which slides along the lower cam member 19 and the cam member 25.

The guide legs of the plate bars for the long dial needles, which are not illustrated, are arranged in a known manner opposite the guide leg 33 of the plate bar 27 and the corresponding plate bars for the short dial needles, and extend into the groove 35 of the dial cam race (FIGURE 2).

The catch hook is at all times driven along the path illustrated by the curve-portion 17 to the catch-position independently from the position of the cam members 20 to 23. This novel arrangement can thereby provide that, even with a knitting system in which none of the dial needles operate, a preselected thread which has been brought forward by sliding forwardly one of the thread guide members of the striping means, is seized by the catch hook 280, which in the case of non-operation of the dial needles would guide the thread within operating range of the cylinder needles.

Circular knitting machines of the type discussed herein and which have been improved and modified by this invention are disclosed and illustrated in detail in the German textbook Technologie der Rundstrickerei by Albert Diebler, published by Konradin-Verlag, 1948 edition, @Stuttgart, Germany.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, multiple striping means having a plurality of thread guide members situated beside each other, a dial cam race having a plurality of cams which have horizontal surfaces and vertical control surfaces for receiving guide legs of a plurality of dial needles which coact with said cam race by moving around it in one direction, a catch hook situated in the location of and replacing one of said dial needles, said catch hook having a plate bar portion provided with a guide leg extending towards said horizontal surfaces of said plurality of cams of said dial cam race and having a length longer than the corresponding guide legs of the dial needles, and an ejection cam disposed in said dial cam race having a horizontal surface and a vertical control surface for coacting with said longer guide leg of said catch hook for ejecting the latter to an operative position with respect to said thread guide members of said multiple striping means, said ejection cam is fixed with respect to said dial cam race and said horizontal surface of said ejection cam is situated in a plane which is deeper than the planes in which said horizontal surfaces of said plurality of cams are disposed in, the vertical control surfaces of said plurality of cams coact with said corresponding guide legs of the dial needles to eject them respectively into knitting positions and said ejection cam coacts only with said longer guide of said catch hook and has no influence on the dial needles, said vertical control surface of said ejection cam being disposed in front of said vertical control surfaces of said plurality of cams for said dial needles in said one direction of movement of said needles with respect to said dial cam race; said dial cam race being displaceable in said circular knitting machine between a normal operating position and a delayed timing operating position wherein said dial needles arrive at the thread guide members of said multiple striping means later than in the normal operating position, and said ejection cam beginning to act upon said catch hook in advance of the action of said plurality of cams on the dial needles and in front of said plurality of thread guide members also when said dial cam race is disposed in said delayed timing operating position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,340,280 9/1963 France.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 66-131, 138 

